Hy'bad Co. helps to trace the missing in Bihar

Patna: An IT firm from Hyderabad ishelping the Government of Bihar track men, women and children who have becomeseparated by the worst floods in the eastern Indian state in over 50 years, bycreating a database using special software.After IT giant IBM faced difficultyin compiling the database due to lack of specific identity details, the stategovernment is now taking the help of Hyderabad-based Safal Solutions for thepurpose.'The state government has given the job to Safal Solutions to compilethe database to track missing people as it was not possible to provide specificidentity details like passport, voter identity or any identity proof to IBM,'the Bihar

Livelihood Project Director Arvind Chaudhary said.Early this month,IBM offered help to the state government by using the software that it had usedsuccessfully after the 2004 Tsunami in India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia as well asduring last year's floods in Bangladesh.Chaudhary said that the state governmentwas serious about tracking the missing people and reuniting them with theirfamilies. 'It is now one of the priority (areas) for us and a difficult taskdespite using latest technology,' Chaudhary said.

He said Safal Solutions is busypreparing a database of the complaints lodged through toll- free numbers andcontrol rooms at the relief camps. Over 550 flood-affected families have lodgedover 1,200 missing individual reports so far.Official sources said the firm isusing a two-pronged strategy to trace the people. One is the Special SequentialSearch Algorithm and the other the Separated Family Connect Algorithm.The firmis using the standard format used by the International Red Cross to trace themissing people.

Disaster Management Department Additional Commissioner PratyayaAmrit said that after evacuation and relief, tracking missing people was thestate government's priority followed by rehabilitation.He said, 'The stateDisaster Management Department has opened a lost and found cell.'The Department has prepared a lost and found data sheet that was sent to all districtmagistrates and relief camps in flood-affected districts.A missing people's celland a toll-free number to lodge complaints about the people who went missinghave already been set up.

The floods have claimed at least 50 lives, according toofficial estimates. However, voluntary agencies fear the number could be inthousands once all bodies are recovered.Over 3.1 million people and nearly onemillion cattle have been affected by the floods caused by a change in the courseof the Kosi river following a breach in an embankment upstream in Nepal. Aboutone lakh hectares of farmland have been submerged and nearly three lakh houses damaged.

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